Red Zone

Philly.com Staff

Jeffrey Lurie is a thoughtful man, a smart man, and yes, a man that clearly wants to win the Super Bowl. After disappearing for this disaster of a season, seen only on game broadcasts seated in a suite next to Howie Roseman, Lurie reemerged Monday to announce the end of Andy Reid in Philadelphia. It was a press conference of good length, during which Lurie spoke openly about the season, Reid’s career as the Eagles’ coach and where it all went wrong for him and the franchise. He spoke of what he would like to see in the next coach and how the team could turn things around in a short amount of time.

It’s clear Lurie was loyal to Reid and that it was going to take this season’s flameout to force Reid’s ouster. It was also clear that Lurie is putting his eggs into Howie Roseman’s basket. In not so subtle terms, Lurie stated that he had chosen Roseman over Reid and Joe Banner, based on Roseman’s supposed drafting acumen. We don’t know if Lurie was telling the truth when he said Roseman was responsible for the draft for the first time in 2012 - which looks good, but not great at the moment. Whether Roseman is as good as Lurie says is something we’ll be readily able to judge in the coming years.

The 2013 season is one in which the Eagles could find themselves back in the playoffs. The Colts and Vikings won two and three games respectively last season, and both are among the NFL’s final 12 teams. If Roseman hits on the 2013 draft, which includes the No. 4 overall pick, it could set the franchise up for a return to prominence in short order. Lurie’s infamous choice of words in describing the Eagles as the NFL’s “gold standard” will never fade from the public’s collective memory, but the right decisions this offseason could give Lurie the credibility he’s rarely enjoyed in this city.

Here’s what they’re saying about Lurie and the former and future employees of his gilded franchise:

Andy Reid

You should probably read what Ray Didinger has to stay about Reid’s legacy. [CSNPhilly.com]

Many thought Reid would take a break from coaching after being fired by the Eagles. But what about him gives us the impression he’d do anything but coach?

“Reid’s firing by the Eagles on Monday gave him, in our minds, the free pass to go take care of himself—rather than a roster of moody players, an impatient owner and a borderline-psycopathic fan base. In the eyes of a world where many wish they could have taken an extra week off from work when their mother or brother or son died, Reid was getting a gift. He could decompress for a whole year, and when he wanted to pick his career back up, his career would be waiting, eagerly.

The reality, though, is this: For a man under a scorching-hot spotlight almost daily for 14 years, we don’t know much about Reid at all; he was loathe to share deeply about his football thoughts, and his personal life was a closed book even under the worst of circumstances.

Thus, nobody knows how he has dealt with the drug-overdose death of his son Garrett last August better than Reid does. And nobody knows how he’ll deal with it from this day forward except Reid.” [Sporting News]

How would his legacy be different if the Eagles had won just one little Super Bowl? John Gonzalez wonders:

“Imagine if Reid had won the Super Bowl. It is an alternate reality that exists only in our imaginations, but it’s hard to believe that a Super Bowl victory – just one, though more would have been better – wouldn’t have made all of us view him in a different manner. Again, it is twisted and maybe even unjust, but it is also difficult to deny. Coaches who win championships are graded differently, or at least more leniently, than those without any rings adorning their fingers.” [CSNPhilly.com]

The Kansas City Chiefs got the first crack at Reid though, interviewing him Wednesday. [Kansas City Star]

The five worst draft picks of Reid’s tenure. No Matt McCoy? [CBS Sports]

Both the Chiefs and Cardinals come to Philadelphia next season. Oh boy! [ESPN]Coaching search

Despite his shortcomings, finding a replacement for Reid will be a challenge for the Eagles, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano writes:

“The Eagles are heading into uncertain times. There's no disputing the idea that it was time for Reid to go. He's 22-27 over the past three seasons, and as great a coach as he was and still may be, nothing lasts forever. Lurie spoke of the "scattered decision-making" of the past couple of years, and his assessment is accurate. Reid was no longer performing at a high enough level, and it is unquestionably time for the Eagles to move on with a new voice leading the roster and a new face fronting the organization. But the uncertainty about who that will be takes center stage now, arm in arm with the realization that different doesn't always mean better.” [ESPN]